With Hokoria’s free association referendum ongoing, the country could soon move significantly closer to Vistaria. But for the Kora and several leading Hokorian figures, free association may not be the final destination.

Earlier this month, Willow proposed dissolving the Hokorian State and making Dama and Serenia separate constituent nations of Vistaria. Parliament rejected the proposal, leading to the free association compromise now before voters.

“I proposed free association as a compromise after dissolution was rejected, and I do think it will help,” the Kora said. “But I still believe bringing Dama and Serenia into Vistaria would have been the more sustainable option.”

What would actually change?

Vistaria has two levels of government: the Kingdom and the Nations. The Kingdom handles wider affairs under the Kora, while Nations can have their own governments, laws and democratic institutions, with their leaders represented in the Council of Nations.

Under the original proposal, Hokoria would cease to exist as a separate state, but Dama and Serenia would continue as Nations within Vistaria. Hokoria’s Parliament and Government would initially govern both until their future systems were decided.

The proposal is partly intended to address a wider problem with how Hokoria currently operates. The Kora has increasingly taken on administrative and governmental responsibilities which are supposed to be handled by the elected Government, simply because those responsibilities otherwise aren’t being carried out.

“The reality is that very few people are active anymore, leaving me to do most of what keeps the country running,” Willow said.

Integration would instead leave Vistaria responsible for the wider state structure, while elected governments in Dama and Serenia would be expected to handle their own domestic affairs. Prime Minister Asa Ward supported the original proposal and has privately said he prefers integration over free association.

Would it solve Hokoria’s problem?

Governor of Serenia Christopher Slant, who abstained on free association because he preferred full integration, argues that the compromise does not address the underlying problem.

“Free association is acceptable, but I don’t see it solving the issue with Hokoria, which is the government doing nothing,” he told The Dam Times. “Myself, the Kora and maybe one or two others have been the only ones doing anything for a while now.”

For the Kora, there is also a question of whether maintaining Hokoria as a separate state still makes sense.

“There’s a lot of nostalgia for Hokoria, which I share, but at some point we have to accept that the Hokoria we remember isn’t really here anymore.”

For now, Hokorians are only voting on free association. This would keep Hokoria sovereign while transferring foreign affairs, defence, justice and elections to Vistaria, while making it clearer that ordinary government is the responsibility of the elected Government, not the Kora.

Free association gives the existing system another chance, but the ambition for Dama and Serenia to eventually join Vistaria has not gone away.